Bp. Antonieto Cabajog delivers his homily during the ordination of Bp. Cabantan.
By Arthur Mondigo
In his homily during the Episcopal ordination of Fr. Jose Araneta Cabantan last April 30, Bishop Antonieto Cabajog, Bishop of Surigao, considered the Episcopal Ordination as a gift to the whole clergy and to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.
The Episcopal ordination of Fr. Cabantan, according to Bishop Cabajog, was “quite special because it coincides with the big occasions in the life of Church.” First, the Episcopal ordination happens during the Year of Priest, as declared by our Pope; and second, this year is the silver jubilee of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, of which the newly ordained bishop is an alumnus.
Bishop Cabajog acknowledged all the pastoral assignments of Fr. Cabantan in twenty years of service as a priest. “Fr. Joe has served the society silently, diligently and lovingly, in spite of his high educational attainment and status in Archdioceses,” he said with unconcealed esteem.
After citing the laudable traits of Fr. Cabantan, Bishop Cabajog added, “This just goes to show that the world today has much more need of real witnesses, not just preachers.” With this, the bishop went ahead to expound Pope Benedict’s message for the Year of Priests, encouraging the priests present to live a life of integrity despite the scandals that have stained the dignity of the priesthood.
Bishop Cabajog exhorted his newly ordained confrere, Bishop Cabantan, to lead his priests into “general interior renewal.” This implies that the clergy have “to go through daily interior conversion in order to become faithful ministers to his people.”
“In the eyes of the world, you are going up the ladder of the hierarchy, but in the priestly ministry, you are actually going a step lower in order to serve men,” Bishop Cabajog fraternally reminded the new bishop of Malaybalay.
In his homily during the Episcopal ordination of Fr. Jose Araneta Cabantan last April 30, Bishop Antonieto Cabajog, Bishop of Surigao, considered the Episcopal Ordination as a gift to the whole clergy and to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.
The Episcopal ordination of Fr. Cabantan, according to Bishop Cabajog, was “quite special because it coincides with the big occasions in the life of Church.” First, the Episcopal ordination happens during the Year of Priest, as declared by our Pope; and second, this year is the silver jubilee of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, of which the newly ordained bishop is an alumnus.
Bishop Cabajog acknowledged all the pastoral assignments of Fr. Cabantan in twenty years of service as a priest. “Fr. Joe has served the society silently, diligently and lovingly, in spite of his high educational attainment and status in Archdioceses,” he said with unconcealed esteem.
After citing the laudable traits of Fr. Cabantan, Bishop Cabajog added, “This just goes to show that the world today has much more need of real witnesses, not just preachers.” With this, the bishop went ahead to expound Pope Benedict’s message for the Year of Priests, encouraging the priests present to live a life of integrity despite the scandals that have stained the dignity of the priesthood.
Bishop Cabajog exhorted his newly ordained confrere, Bishop Cabantan, to lead his priests into “general interior renewal.” This implies that the clergy have “to go through daily interior conversion in order to become faithful ministers to his people.”
“In the eyes of the world, you are going up the ladder of the hierarchy, but in the priestly ministry, you are actually going a step lower in order to serve men,” Bishop Cabajog fraternally reminded the new bishop of Malaybalay.
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